The Sheffield arena is ready for battle once again as Gladiators is set to return in 2026 for another season on the BBC, plus a brand-new Celebrity Special.

Bradley and Barney Walsh will once again oversee proceedings as the gladiators Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Cyclone, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Hammer, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel and Viper return to showcase their power, agility and bold banter against the courageous contenders. The competition promises new events, plus four brave celebrities will be taking on the toughest test on TV as they enter the arena in a bid to prove they have the power to succeed and emerge victorious.

Made by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, Gladiators has quickly become a Saturday night sensation averaging 5.3 million with nearly two fifths streaming on demand, making it the most watched Saturday night series on BBC iPlayer and the third most watched Entertainment series overall. Gladiators has also continued to capture the hearts of younger viewers with 1.3 million tuning in for each episode so far – accounting for nearly a quarter of the show’s overall audience. It remains the most-watched title for this demographic across the entertainment market.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC commented: “Audiences have loved getting together to watch our mighty Gladiators take on contenders from all across the UK with younger fans especially excited to cheer on their Saturday night superheroes. With this brand-new series and another Celebrity Special confirmed there will be even more epic battles, more high-octane action and of course even more foam fingers than ever before for everyone to look forward to.”

Dan Baldwin, Managing Director of Hungry Bear Media, said: “We have been absolutely blown away by the reception Gladiators has received from families up and down the country. It has become a huge part of Saturday night viewing on the BBC. We are extremely excited to deliver another series, so expect even more spandex, hairspray, protein shakes and fake tan this summer in Sheffield.”

Dom Bird, SVP, MGM Alternative, International, added: “Gladiators is such an iconic and well-loved show, we are all delighted to see it capturing the imagination of BBC audiences. Series 3 will be a true celebration of strength, spirit, and entertainment and is already shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.”

Viewers can stream all available episodes of Gladiators and add the show to their watchlist now on BBC iPlayer.